Lifelines
by Radiant Angel Girl
Summary: On a distant planet sit three sisters, weaving a story of a love that has stood the test of time. Please read/review!
1. Prologue

There is a place somewhere, a place we have not, nor will ever see in person. A distant star, perhaps. The ground is smooth glass, the ocean made of grains of crystal white sand, the sky clear and open and white. There is no night in this place, no day either. There is only time in its passing.

Only three women inhabit this island of a star. They are sisters, daughters of the Theo. He made them to keep record of the universe, and they did, one life time, one thread at a time.

The three women sit together close, before them rests a large golden loom. It remains empty for now. In the distance, rolls of handmade textiles rest, their lengths could go on forever, their stories even longer.

The first woman stood, holding her hands out in prayer, between her palms grew a lump of fluff, wool from a distant land, the world the great Theo loved. The lump appeared to grow, and colored itself, vibrant and changing and strong. The woman said another prayer of thanksgiving and, to her surprise, in her palms blossomed another fiber. This was a smooth hank of silk, soft and delicate, pastels shimmering.

"It appears Theo wants these two together, connected lifelines. Shall we begin, sisters?" The first, Thallo asked looking towards the others. She had a youthful face, golden hair falling in ringlets down her back. Green robes clothed this woman, dainty hands holding the fibers forward. She had the ability to multiply the lot, and depending on her sisters, she created the perfect amount for each tapestry.

"Of course, sister. What else have we to do?" replied the second sister, Auxesia. She drew forward her distaff, and prepared it for the fibers. Auxesia was older than Thallo, her duty to measure the length of the thread. She was clothed in aqua tunics. Her face was young, but wizened, her hands calloused from work. She wore her auburn hair pinned close, so as not to get it into the spindle. "These fibers do not appear to go together, but I believe that in this tapestry, their lives will complement each other beautifully. Opposites always have a rocky start, but balance evenly," she told her intent sisters.

Thallo began smoothing the fibers given to her, praying for more to be gathered for them. "Whose turn is it to begin the grand design?" she asked.

"It is Carpo's turn" said Auxesia, motioning to the third member. Carpo stood, her dark robes pooling at her feet. They rippled as she approached the loom. Carpo was the oldest of the three. Her eyes were tired, her fingers calloused and rough. Her long dark hair hung loose, falling to her hips. She took some of the new thread and began weaving it into the loom. She began to recount a story known only to the fibers in her hands.


	2. The Beginning

When the universe came into creation, Theo created the planets, moons and stars. He also created beings of different forms. The moons were created to protect the planets, and the stars to police them both and to maintain a natural order.

On one specific planet and its suspended satellite lived two beings. One was a man, a shepherd of the earth. The other was his guardian from the moon. He was entrusted into the care of the daughter of the Principalo, the king. In that time, Theo had declared that beings on the planet should be guarded by beings of the moon. The two should never need contact, but the protector was there to keep her charge from entering into life threatening situations. The being of earth need never know his guardian's existence. The very possibility of these being became legend to the beings of the earth. There had been the occasional slip where the two worlds had collided, and they had not gone by without punishment.

This man, Endymund, was watched over by Selenita, the daughter of the Principalo and his powerless queen Mona. She was a girl of intense curiosity, slight frame, and unequaled beauty. She watched over her man with wondering eyes. As all of her race did, during the sunlight, her form disappeared, only a shimmering cast shadow to be seen. In the evening under the true light of her homeland she appeared creamy skin bright in the bluish white light. Her duties remained to watch him, and she did. Many a time she had guided his foot back to land as he climbed the mountainside for his lost sheep. She was not allowed to maintain a close distance to him.

Over the many years following this man, Selenita became attatched. The moments during his rest when she too should have returned to her home on the moon became another chance to be near to Endymund. One night, throwing caution to the wind, Selenita approached her man. She entered his bedroom as he slept, and slowly approached his bed. She watched as his chest gently rose and fell, his face so relaxed. She lightly brushed his dark hair away from his eyes. She deeply wished he would open his eyes for her.

Endymund shifted slightly and opened his ocean eyes. He saw her beautiful ethereal glowing form, and a smile came to his face. She was the most beautiful vision he had ever seen. Even among the girls in town who fawned over him, she easily outshined them. She left him with as sense of comfort and calm. "Who are you?" he asked her. She put a finger to his lips to silence him and then she left.

The next night she came to see him again. Again he asked her, "Who are you?" And again she put a soft finger to his lips and left. Every night she came. Every night he waited to hear her voice.

One night he asked her a new question. "Where do you come from, princess?" She smiled at his notion, and looked out the window at the bright full moon. She stood from his bedside and began to walk away. "Wait!" he called stepping out of bed after her. "What's your name?" She looked back over her shoulder held that finger to her lips a soft 'shh' floated through the night air to him as she left. She had to be a goddess of that great moon above. He had heard rumors of the guardians that watched over people, he wondered if she could be one.

Every night she came, and every night she left him. She never said a word to him, but she always looked on him with kind and caring eyes. He felt so comfortable in her presence. He had begun to speak to her and she would listen. He told her his poetry, of his family. She always looked on and seemed to regard him with love.

One night she came, and instead of talking to her, he took her hand, cool, smooth, pale against his own tan roughened skin. She looked at him with surprise. This was a new step for them; he had broken that barrier that had always been there. He did this as he talked to her. Every night.

* * *

It had been months, he could no longer stand the quiet, the distance. Her very presence drew a love from him that he did not know could possibly exist. It was as if they were linked somehow. He did not know that she was thinking the same exact thing in her head at that very moment. He reached for her hand that night and pulled her close to him. He ran his fingers along her jaw and pulled her into a close embrace. He pressed his lips to hers softly, leaving room for her to back away if this was her wish. She did respond softly, before pushing herself away, propelled to the other side of the room. It was at this moment he heard her sparkling voice reach his ears.

"No, no, no! Endymund, no one must know about this!" she commanded. "Relations between our kinds are forbidden." This was the most he had ever heard her speak. It was a beautiful tinkling sound, he was mesmerized.

"Stay with me," he said to her.

She replied, "Then we must never meet again." He pulled her close again, and kissed her long and hard, she responded before pushing herself away and running from him. She berated herself so. She realized she could have had him killed if the Principalo had found out. She was the princess of that place, what a scandal she was participating in. She would have failed him as his guardian, and been forced back into her place as princess, and queen of a foreign land. She was beginning to feel for this shepherd.

She decided she would come to see him one more time. She entered his bedroom as she had everytime before. She sat next to his sleeping form and stroked his messy hair from his sleep softened brow. He shifted slightly, still sleeping. "You're beautiful," she heard him mumble. She smiled a sad smile and drew her hand away. "I didn't think the guardians existed," he said, still quite sleepy.

"I have been watching over you since you were on your own. But there are rules that I must follow. You should have never known of my existence. I should have never come to you. I don't even know what the punishment for this grave crime is."

"I think I fell in love with you the moment I heard you voice," he said, looking up at her.

"Please don't say that Endymund," she said bringing a hand up to rub her own brow worriedly.

"You know my name?" he asked surprised.

"Of course I do."

"Well it is only fair that I should know yours, princess."

"I shouldn't," she said looking away, "but I want to hear it on your tongue. It is Serenita."

"Serenita, beautiful." He whispered.

She kissed his brow and stood. "I must go, Endymund. We will be found out if I continue to see you when I should be at home sleeping. I am the daughter of the supreme guardian. I am honestly surprised he hasn't sent someone for me, yet."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. She squeezed it back, and then suddenly he pulled her toward him, and into the bed. She really did love him. She longed for him. She kissed him hard, and he pushed the shoulder of her slip dress down. She shared this feeling with him, in kisses, touches, sensations. She gasped, at that moment she felt it, her heart was no longer hers. It belonged to Endymund. It was already too late. She stood up from the bed and placed her slip overhead, and began to walk towards the door. At that very moment, in the same fashion that Serenita disappeared each night, another being appeared. Tan skinned, white clothed, and Serenita's same silver hair-though much shorter.

"Serenita! What have you done with this being?" The man said in a smooth voice, which echoed through the room.

"Tranquilidad- why are you here brother?" Serenita asked.

"Sere' Father knows you have been coming here. He knows you have lost your heart. Do you know what will happen now?" her brother asked her. With her shake of the head, he continued. "The Principalo has arranged for you a marriage to the prince of the Solstice Kingdom. You will marry tomorrow. You will never see this man again. Say goodbye." He turned away and took his leave. By this time, Endymund had fully woken.

"Who was that?" he asked, concernedly.

"It was my twin brother. He tells me that my father has found out about us. He has arranged that I will marry tomorrow. I am no longer to be your guardian. I must go, I love you." She shimmered away from him.

* * *

In the weeks and months that followed, Endymund fell into a deep depression. He cold no longer find the energy to care for his sheep. He could hardly get out of bed each morning. He stayed up all night watching that pale moon above, almost seeing his love's beautiful eyes shining on him. At some point he stopped keeping track of time. He let himself become emaciated, no longer eating more than was necessary to stay alive.

At some point, Endymund felt a tug at his heart so painful that he fell to his knees gasping for air. It was as though his heart was ripped from his chest. About a month later, he saw that familiar sparkle in the corner of the room. He felt such hope, that he jumped from his bed. Only, the figure that emerged was not the one he wanted to see. It was that man who had come in the night to take his love away. It was her brother who stepped forward, a small bundle in his arms.

There was a grimace upon the man's face as he regarded the shepherd standing before him, "You appear to be close to death! I feel I should have come to you sooner. I assume by the recognition in your eyes, you know who I am. Tranquilidad, Serenita's brother.

"You were a star-crossed pair. It never could have lasted in this generation. You need to know this-- Sere' has passed from this world. About a month ago she died in childbirth, fraternal twins. It was her dying wish that you two could be together in another era.

"She had two babies, of two different fathers. This is a fact which I believe is due to my finding her slipping out of your bed half dressed that night, and the next night her marriage to King Soledad. Two girls, one with golden hair, the other with midnight hair. I have come to show you… This is Diana," He handed the small infant with a dark fuzz over her crown to the other man's shaking hands. "Unfortunately Soledad has rejected this girl, and she has been under mine, and my wife's care. It was Sere's heartsickness that lead to her death. After she saw this baby her heart soared. She said she knew that one day you would both get the lives you deserved together, even though it would be someday in the future. Her tears produced this glowing stone," he produced it from his robes, it's brilliant facet's shining light over the entire room. "I believe this to be the inner power of my people. In this girl, and her daughters lie the future."

"Tranq- She is so beautiful. I know I am dying. I cannot give this child the life she deserves. Can you care for her as your own?" Endymund looked as though his heart were broken for this little girl. His once tanned but now pale skin showed the blood running in his veins.

"I would be glad to care for her as the princess she deserves to be. My wife and I cannot have children, and if in my power this girl will become queen on her own, and our family shall become a matriarchal society. I can only hope it is what my sister wanted.

"I am so sorry I had to give you this news. I must return to my family, Endymund. Care for yourself if you can, if it is not too late." Tranquilidad disappeared, the beautiful girl in his grasp.

But it was too late. Any strand of hope that Endymund had held on to that his love would return to him had now vanished. However, it was replaced with a different hope, that perhaps he could have his love in another time and place. That night, he lay awake in his bed, and let his heart soar to meet his love's, until the time was right for them to be together.

* * *

please please please review. If the story is no good, tell me. I would love any comments I can get.


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